The Benefits of Drinking Water for Skin, According to Derms

It has been said that getting lots of water in one’s diet is the most important factor in maintaining youthful, plump, and beautiful skin; but, is this actually the case? The majority of famous people who we at Byrdie have the opportunity to speak with insist that water consumption is their “skincare secret” (see: Kendall and J.Lo). Even though we’d like to believe that we drink the recommended amount of water each day, we can’t help but wonder whether or not this is genuinely helping to better skin health, or whether it’s just a common misconception that we’ve grown to believe as though it were the word of God.

In order to get a definitive answer to this perplexing hydration question, we consulted three experts in the field: dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, author of The MD Factor Diet; board-certified dermatologist and surgeon Margarita Lolis, MD; and Caroline Cederquist, MD, author of The MD Factor Diet.

Continue reading to find out the truth about what drinking water does for our skin.

Does Consuming Water Actually Help Your Skin Retain Its Moisture?

To begin, the inconvenient truth. There is a lack of research that proves water consumption impacts skin hydration or overall appearance in people who are healthy, according to Lolis. “While everyone says drinking water is important for overall health and doctors across the board recommend more water and less caffeinated or sugar-packed beverages, there is a lack of research that proves water consumption impacts skin hydration.” The issue is the actual physics behind how water flows throughout our systems; drinking water is necessary for our bodies to run optimally and to assist in ensuring that nutrients are delivered to the skin through proper blood flow, but it is not necessarily the be-all and end-all that we require for dewy skin. According to Lolis, “the truth is that when you drink water, it does not automatically get to the skin. Instead, it hydrates cells once it has been absorbed into the bloodstream and filtered by the kidneys.” Therefore, drinking water is beneficial on a cellular level since it cleanses the system and hydrates our bodies on a more general level.

The Numerous Advantages of Water Consumption for the Skin

There is not enough data to support the concept that drinking water will make a significant impact in the appearance of one’s skin, according to Zeichner, who concurs with this assessment. According to him, the idea that consuming water can assist your body retain its natural moisture by keeping your skin hydrated is a misconception. “There is no evidence to support the notion that consuming a glass of water will help to moisturize the skin in any way. On the other hand, there is no evidence to suggest that consuming less than eight glasses of water a day is detrimental to one’s health. The one and only catch is that it will take a toll on your skin if you are really dehydrated, so keep that in mind.” Only in the most extreme circumstances of dehydration does research suggest that skin might lose part of its elasticity or take on a “tenting” effect.1 [Citation needed] [Citation needed]

Although there may not be any concrete evidence that drinking water will make a difference in the skin (according to Lolis, water will head directly for all of your other critical organs first), many people have observed that increasing their water intake led to more radiant or clear skin. Drinking a lot of water won’t kill you, and it will at the very least help you avoid the symptoms of extreme dehydration, such as the previously stated dry, tight, or itchy skin. The basic line is that drinking plenty of water is a good idea.

How to Preserve the Moisture of Your Skin

Rather than relying mainly on water to boost your complexion, Lolis advocates exerting your efforts topically and atmospherically, and she suggests implementing the following practices into your regimen on a regular basis to keep your skin hydrated:

• Instead of using soap, you should clean your skin with a mild cleanser.
• Stay away from any skincare products that include alcohol in the ingredient list.
• Stay away from dry air as much as possible and consider using a humidifier.
• Limit your exposure to highly chlorinated water by avoiding activities such as taking long, hot showers or washing dishes without gloves.
• After you get out of the shower, put some lotion on your body, and after you wash your hands, put some lotion on your hands.
• Include hyaluronic acid in the daily care that you provide your skin.

In a similar vein, according to Zeichner, the epidermis is the greatest place to deliver water to the skin. According to his explanation, “in terms of hydration, applying topical moisturizers can often be considerably more effective than drinking water.” “In order to be beneficial to the skin, moisturizers typically include three distinct categories of substances. Emollients, such as natural oils, help to smooth the rough edges between cells in the outer layer of skin, while occlusives, such as white petrolatum, create a protective seal over the top of the skin; humectants, such as glycerin, act as a sponge to draw in moisture to the outer layers of skin; and occlusives create a protective seal over the top of the skin.” In other words, a proper moisturizer (or overall routine) will have all three components in order to help bring in water and keep it sealed in. This is because all three are necessary to assist bring in water.

How Many Cups of Water Should We Consume Each Day in Order to Preserve Our Hydration?

Simply dividing your body weight in half and drinking that many ounces of water is a quick and easy approach to determine how much water your body needs. To put it another way, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should aim to consume approximately 70 ounces of water on a daily basis.

If you don’t like drinking water, you should know that you can get enough fluids by eating meals that are high in water content. The recommendation for men is 125 ounces, while the recommendation for women is 91 ounces. This information comes from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. 2 “However, these numbers are referring to the entire fluid consumption per day and includes anything you swallow that contains water, such as fruits and vegetables,” adds Lolis. “Furthermore, these numbers are referring to the overall fluid intake per day.” She also suggests infusing a water bottle with fruits (we prefer lemon water) or vegetables for your own homemade spa water, or adding a shot glass of juice to a 10-ounce water bottle for a hint of flavor that will have significantly less sugar than drinking that juice alone. Both of these suggestions are great ways to make your own homemade spa water.

What Else Should We Be Doing in Order to Keep Ourselves Well-hydrated?

Cederquist recommends staying away from processed foods and foods that contain a lot of saturated fat. She continues by saying, “I also suggest picking up a good water bottle and making it a habit of having it with you wherever.”

When it comes to eating, Zeichner is a supporter of the idea that beautiful skin may be achieved by digesting good foods. “A well-balanced diet full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids helps give the required building blocks for healthy skin cell function,” he continues. “This is important since unhealthy skin cell function can cause premature aging.”

In addition to the food you eat, there are a variety of other things that can contribute to having glowing skin, according to Lolis. “When it comes to skin looking supple and glowing, things like good overall nutrition, exercise, limiting alcohol consumption, not smoking, getting a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night, eliminating or at least significantly limiting processed foods and sugars, and having an excellent skincare regimen are key factors,” she says. In the event that you are unsure as to whether you are consuming a enough amount of water, there is a straightforward method to test for this: “Do the pee check,” encourages Lolis. “When you’re well hydrated, you’ll notice that your pee is light in color and completely clear.”

The Most Important Takeaway

Even while there may not be any direct benefits of drinking water for the skin, our experts are in agreement that maintaining appropriate hydration is critical for the body’s overall health and ensures that everything is operating as it should. The area of your skin that is most likely to show the difference when you aren’t getting enough water is your face, and it won’t be a difference for the better. According to Zeichner, the most effective (and scientifically proved) method for maintaining the hydration of your skin is to provide it with some TLC on the surface and in the environment; but, consuming an additional glass or two of water won’t hurt.